Orc

A male and female Orc from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

The people of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains, Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship. Orc troops in heavy armor are among the finest in the Empire, and are fearsome when using their berserker rage.

Orcs or Orsimer hail from the Wrothgarian Mountains. Best known for their craftmanship and their skill in battle, they are considered to be one of the strongest warrior races and are admired for the loyalty and respect that they show to one another. Despite their gruff appearance, Orcs are actually considered elven, hence the name "Orsimer," meaning "Pariah Folk."

Orcs tend to have light to dark green skin, though brown is not unheard of. Their uncouth appearance is attributed to the Daedric PrinceMalacath, who was once Trinimac, one of the most powerful Aldmeri heroes, until he was devoured by Boethiah. Later, what remained of Trinimac became Malacath. When Trinimac changed, so did his Aldmeri followers, who became the Orcs.

Orcs generally live isolated lives inside strongholds, devoting their lives to the worship of Malacath. They rarely let other races into their stronghold, but some rare outsiders may be permitted entry if they have performed a special deed for the tribe.

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Orcs are well-known for their incredible courage in battle and unwavering fortitude under extreme hardships. Like Argonians, Orcs are also a fiercely loyal people due to their tribal background. Male Orcs tend to focus themselves upon the art of war and combat, while women typically become adept at the forge (although both male and females are proficient in both combat and smithing).

The Orcs who have settled in Skyrim during the Fourth Era typically band together as tribes and inhabit makeshift "strongholds" lead by a chief, the strongest Orc male warrior in the tribe, who takes all the tribe's women as his wives. Orc strongholds in Skyrim are typically built near ore mines, and only welcome outsiders if they either Orc by birth, or have been recognized as "Blood-kin" by any stronghold's chief.

Orcs in strongholds ascribe to the unwritten "Code of Malacath", named after their patron Daedric Prince, which essentially serve as rules of respect and engagement.

WIth their many bonuses to weaponry and armor, Orcs are best suited to the warrior style of gameplay. Their Berserker Rage ability is particularly useful, enabling weapons to deal double damage while the player only takes half damage for 60 seconds. Orcs are also the only race freely permitted into orc strongholds without first performing a quest of some kind.